Electrical service head construction



M. THOMAS 2,714,128

ELECTRICAL SERVICE HEAD CONSTRUCTION July 26, 1955 Filed May 24, 1954 JNVENTOR. M04451. 12 0/1443,

United States Patent Cfifice 2,714,128 Patented July 26, 1955 2,714,128 ELETRICAL SERVICE HEAD (IONSTRUCTION Michael Thomas, Los Angeles, Calif. Application May 24, 1954, Serial No. 431,771 5 Claims. (Cl. 174-81) This invention relates to an improved electrical service head construction and more particularly to an integral service head construction adapted to dead-end electrical service wires in horizontally spaced relation and to provide an integral receptacle for housing and protecting dead-end splices from exposure to weather and the like.

Local ordinances and electrical engineering specifications require that all leads for bringing power from a power line to a building be afforded minimum ground clearance for safety and other reasons. Such a minimum prescribed ground clearance is often impossible to attain when a service lead is being run from a power line to a one-story building and especially when the span from the power pole to the selected point of attachment to the building approaches the maximum span for a particular wire. It has been necessary in such instances to raise the point of attachment of the service wires above the cave line of the building and sometimes above the peak line of a building.

Heretofore prior proposed devices for attaching such service leads to a building at a point spaced vertically thereabove have included a vertical mast attached to the building and carrying vertically spaced insulators. in such prior installations it is obvious that ground clearance requirements are determined by the lowermost of the vertically spaced service wires. Attachment of the two remaining wires of a three-wire service lead above the lowermost wire obviously extends considerably the length of the mast and the unsupported height thereof and often requires diagonal braces to the building construction.

This invention contemplates an improved service head construction for attaching the usual three-wire service lead to a building wherein the three wires are arranged in horizontally spaced relation so that the unsupported height of the mast may be kept to a minimum while affording compliance with ground clearance requirements.

The primary object of this invention is to disclose and provide a service head construction which obviates the disadvantages of prior proposed service head constructions and which achieves new advantages.

An object of this invention is to disclose and provide an integral service head construction including an elongated member adapted to support an insulator at each end and a receptacle integral therewith at the central portion of the member to support an insulator between said end insulators.

Another object of this invention is to disclose and provide such a service head construction wherein the receptacle and elongated member are so designed and arranged that the service head construction is capable of withstanding the pull forces of the wires thereupon.

A further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a service head construction wherein the service wires are attached thereto in horizontally spaced relation so that required ground clearance is achieved with a mini mum height of support mast for the service head construction.

A still further object of this invention is to disclose and provide a service head construction including a receptacle having a readily removable cover whereby dead-end splices between the service wires and the leads connecting said wires to the service switchbox are readily accessible, readily made and are effectively protected from weather.

This invention contemplates generally speaking an integral service head construction wherein an elongated L-shaped member is adapted to support an insulator at each end in horizontally spaced relation. A receptacle is integrally formed at the central portion of the L-shaped member and presents an upstanding front wall adapted to support an insulator between said end insulators. The side walls, bottom wall and reinforcing web of the L.- shaped member are integral so that a rigid, strong service head construction is provided for dead-ending the service wires. The bottom Wall of the receptacle is provided with means for attaching the service head construction to a supporting mast and has an opening therein for entry of tails of the service wires. A removable cover is provided for the receptacle for easy access to splices made within the receptacle.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be readily apparent from the following description of the drawings in which an exemplary embodiment of this invention is shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a perspective view of a service head construction embodying this invention supported from a building wall.

Fig. 2 is a top enlarged view of said construction.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken in the vertical plane indicated by line III-III of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken in vertical planes indicated by lines IVIV of Fig. 2.

In the exemplary embodiment of this invention shown in Fig. l a service head construction generally indicated at it? may be supported above a building if. by an associated supporting mast 12, the service head construction being arranged horizontally on top of said mast 12 so that the service wires 13 may be connected thereto in horizontally spaced relation. It is understood that while the service head construction is illustrated as being supported on a mast the service head construction 19 may be connected directly to a building if suiiicient height is aiforded therefor to provide required ground clearance of service wires 13.

The mast 12 may be connected to the building in any suitable well-known manner as by spaced C-clamps 14 secured as by lag screws. The mast 12 is hollow and preferably provides a conduit for leads 15 extending from the service switchbox in the building to the service head construction it). The top of mast 12 may be provided with external threads 16 for attachment of the service head construction thereto. The height to which the mast 12 extends above the building 11 and the ground depends upon the required ground clearance for the service wires 13.

The service head construction 10 comprises an elongated L-section member 18 including a back wall 19 adapted to support at each end an insulator bracket 20. Integral with the bottom edge margin of back wall 1? may be a forwardly extending reinforcing web 21, said web increasing in width from each end toward the central portion of the L-shaped member to reinforce said back Wall 19 against bending due to the pull of the side service wires 13.

At the central portion of member 18 may be provided a forwardly extending bottom wall 22 lying in the same plane as web 21 and integral therewith. The bottom wall 22 is provided with means for attaching the service head construction to the mast 12, said means comprising an integrally formed fitting 23 adjacent the mid point of back wall 19. The fitting 23 is provided with internal threads 16 of the mast 12. A suitable lock nut 24a may be carried by threads 16.

The bottom wall 22 is also provided with an opening 25 spaced forwardly of the fitting 23 for passage therethrough of tail portions 26 of the service wires 13.

The opening 25 preferably carries a preformed insulator disc 27 made of any suitable dielectric material and provided with spaced holes 28 for each of the tail portions 26. The insulator disc 27 may be pressed into said opening and is provided with an annular flange Z9 positioning the disc in said opening. The disc 27 may be further secured by diametrically spaced screw bolts 29a threaded in the bottom wall 22 and having their heads bearing against margins of the flange 29.

An upstanding front Wall 30 is integrally formed with the bottom wall 22, said front wall 30 being adapted to afford a support and connection to an insulator bracket 20. The front wall 30 is reinforced against pull of the center wire 13 by side walls 31 integrally formed with the front wall 30, the bottom wall 22 and the adjacent portion of the back wall 19. The top edges of said front, side and back walls lie in the same plane and all of said walls define a hollow receptacle generally indicated at 33.

A removable cover 34 may be provided for said receptacle 33 and is afforded a shape substantially corresponding to the shape defined by the front, side and central portion of the back wall. The cover 34 includes a depending peripheral flange 35 adapted to extend over and to enclose top margins of the side walls, front wall and central portion of the back wall 19 so as to afford a weatherproof cover. For this purpose the top margin of back wall 19 may be notched as at 35a to receive the adjacent portion of peripheral flange 35. The cover 34 may be secured to the receptacle as by a downwardly extended lug 36 integral with flange 35 at approximately the central portion of each side wall 31. Each side wall 31 is provided with a vertically elongated recess 37 which is adapted to receive the end of a screw bolt 38 threaded through the ported lug 36.

It is understood that the insulator brackets 20 may be of any well-known form. They are illustrated here as comprising U brackets adapted to be secured to the back wall and to the front wall as by bolt and nut assemblies 40 which extend through ports 41 provided therefor in the service head construction. The brackets 20 carry a grooved cylindrical insulator 42 of dielectric material by means of a vertical pin 43. In making the dead-end connection to the insulators 42 the service wires 13 may be connected thereto in well-known manner while leaving sufiicient excess length of wire to provide tail portions 26 which may be readily inserted upwardly through ports 28 in the insulator disc 27 carried by the bottom wall 22. With the cover 34 removed the ends of tail portions 26 and the leads 15 may be conveniently and readily spliced. After the splices are made, they are pushed back into the receptacle and the cover 34 is secured. It may be noted that the tail portions 26 provide excess wire for making a splice above the receptacle and provide drip loops in well-known manner when the splices are positioned within the receptacle.

The particular configuration and curvature of the side walls 31 has not been described in detail but it should be noted that the entire service head construction is afforded a suitable shape and configuration for casting thereof to provide an integral service head. The hollow receptacle is utilized to support the center insulator bracket and the sidewardly extending extensions provided by the elongated L-shaped member 18 provide a dead-end cross arm for supporting at each end insulators for connecting the side wires of a three-wire service lead. It will thus be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the service head construction of this invention provides a conven ient simple inexpensive arrangement for terminating service wires in horizontally spaced relation at a building while providing required ground clearance for said wires.

It is understood that various modifications and changes may be made in the service head construction described above that come within the spirit of this invention and all such modifications and changes coming within the scope of the appended claims are embraced thereby.

I claim:

1. An integral electrical service head construction for supporting insulators in spaced horizontal relation comprising, in combination: an elongated L-section member adapted to support an insulator at each end and including a back wall and reinforcing web at right angles thereto; a forwardly extending wall at the central portion of the member, integral with said web, and provided with means for connecting said service head construction to an associated supporting mast and having an opening for passage therethrough of service wires; an upstanding front wall integral with the forwardly extending wall and adapted to support an insulator between ends of said member; side walls integrally connecting the front wall with the back wall, the forwardly extending wall and said web for reinforcing the front wall; all of said walls defining a hollow receptacle; and a cover for said receptacle including a peripheral depending flange extending over and enclosing top margins of said walls.

2. A service head construction as defined in claim 1 wherein said depending flange is provided with a downwardly extending lug and one of said side walls is provided with a recess adjacent said lug, said lug being provided with a threaded port for receiving a screw bolt for securing said cover to said receptacle.

3. A service head construction for supporting insulators in spaced horizontal relation comprising, in combination: an elongated L-section member adapted to support an insulator at each end thereof; a wall extending forwardly from the central portion of the member, connected thereto, and provided with means for attaching said service head construction to an associated mast and having an opening for passage therethrough of service wires; an upstanding front wall integral with the forwardly extending wall and adapted to support an insulator between said end insulators; side walls integral with said front wall and said forwardly extending wall for reinforcing the front wall; and a removable cover provided with 21 depending peripheral flange enclosing top margins of said front wall, side walls and a central portion of said member.

4. A service head construction for supporting insulators in spaced horizontal relation comprising, in combination: an elongated back wall and reinforcing web there for, said back wall being adapted to support an insulator at each end thereof; a forwardly extending wall at the central portion of said back wall and web and integral with said web, said forwardly extending wall being provided with means for connecting said service head construction to an associated supporting mast and having an opening spaced from said connecting means for passage therethrough of service wires; an upstanding front wall integral with the forwardly extending wall and adapted to support an insulator; side walls integral with said forwardly extending wall, said front wall, said web and said back wall for defining therewith a hollow receptacle; and a removable cover for said receptacle.

5. A service head construction for supporting insulators in spaced relation comprising, in combination: an elongated member adapted to support an insulator at each end thereof; a wall extending forwardly from the central portion of the member, connected thereto, and provided with means for attaching said service head construction to an associated mast; a front wall integral with the forwardly extending wall and adapted to support an insulator between said end insulators; side walls integral with said front wall and said forwardly extending wall to reinforce the front wall, said walls and the central portion of said member defining a hollow receptacle; and a removable cover for said receptacle.

Martin Oct. 16, 1883 Thomason et al Jan. 14, 1930 

